NCJ Number
129962
Journal
Law and Order Volume: 39 Issue: 5 Dated: (May 1991) Pages: 40-42
Date Published
1991
Length
3 pages
Annotation
A survey was conducted among 122 police department chiefs in nine States to determine the rate of and reasons for turnover among police officers. Employee turnover impacts significantly on the police manager's twin goals of maintaining good community relations and effective management skills.
Abstract
The average yearly turnover between 1987 and 1988 in these departments was 13.2 percent, slightly higher than in the private sector. There was no correlation between turnover rates and factors such as educational benefits, formal reward systems, or community relations. Most of the police chiefs believed that, while low salaries did not cause high turnovers, high salaries would be an inducement for officers to stay on the force. Additional factors cited for high turnover rates were new chief in the department, new city administration, and peer relations. Other reasons included private sector job opportunities, conversion to public safety jobs, conflicts over unionization, lack of discipline, and better benefits elsewhere. Future studies should use exit interviews to more accurately analyze turnover rates. If valuable employees are being lost, there should be further evaluations of job orientation sessions, selection criteria, leadership, length of employment, salaries, and job satisfaction in order to reduce negative turnover.